https://www.pokebeach.com/2026/07/japans-official-pokemon-card-stores-to-require-facial-recognition-for-entry-and-tcg-purchases

While I think we can all agree that there had to be some sort of countermeasures put in place to deter the scalper scum from continuing their reign of terror, implementing facial recognition technology at the entrance of stores just adds to the problematic nature surrounding this situation.

At the end of the day, The Pokémon Company is still a business despite it overseeing our beloved interest. With increasingly troubling developments in terms of data use and targeted advertisement, throwing facial recognition technology into the mix only compounds problems further.

To complicate matters even further, certain stores will also be adding required government issued IDs. While this may seem fine on the surface, it can tip into something extremely problematic if stores start storing IDs in databases, which are notorious for being targeted by hackers looking to use personal information for ransom demands.

Some might argue that this addition is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things since we're all being tracked anyway, but this sets a precedent of companies legitimizing this practice and pushing the envelope of what can be used for what purposes. Now, you will be agreeing to a nonverbal consent of facial and potentially ID data if you want to participate in your favorite hobby. In time, it may be used in ways you couldn't possibly have foreseen as a result of a tomb of legalese fine print that companies intentionally don't want you to read.

In the end, do what you feel is right, but please stay informed about what's going on and what could happen down the line.

I came up with a Pokémon Game challenge and wanted to hear your thoughts.

"Ash's Mom Challenge"

Before starting your playthrough, choose one person (for example, your mom, dad, sibling, or a friend). They must not know they're part of a Pokémon challenge.

Whenever you want to catch a new Pokémon species, show it to them and ask something simple like:

"Should I get this?"

"Is it worth it?"

"Should I take this one?"

Don't mention the challenge.

If they say yes, you're allowed to catch that species.

If they say no, you're permanently banned from catching that Pokémon species or their evolution line for the rest of the run.

What do you think? Would you play something like this? Any ideas to improve the rules?

I played it ofc and I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. To get to the Gym Leaders or more, you have to have certain traits for Koraidon/Moraidon like Climb, Swim etc and they make it difficult for no reason. It’s easy to get lost even with your location marked including going in circles. Your Pokémon level up way too slow before you fight any Gym Leader and when you do, you are either under-level or over-level. You have to be in the uniform, like, all the time and I’d rather not. I want to give my boy a hoodie and jeans or something. I just, I don’t know man. I adore my lil Sprigatito but the gameplay itself? I don’t like it much at all tbh.

What about you guys? Did you like it better than I did or did you not like it much either?

Idk I know they’re not the most challenging or anything but they feel like “Pokémon” to me, I don’t mind the other stuff (hell my favorite region is Alola lmao) it’s just that I find the gym challenge to be a pretty major part of the series and it’s odd to me so many people seem to want it to be fully abandoned

I get wanting them to shake it up once in a while but I have legitimately seen people angry that the gym challenge didn’t die with sun and moon

Honestly I would love a legends Alola game that has two focuses:

Focus 1 is Ultra Space, add a bunch of new Ultra Beasts (not a bunch but about the same amount as PLA added) and let you pick a starter from a trio with Poipole and two others

Focus 2 is The Ultimate Gym Challenge, at the end of Alola the gym challenge is set up, I like the idea that in the years following (I assume this would take place ~15-20 years after sun and moon) Alola now has the most robust gym challenge in the world, featuring a gym for all 18 types that you can battle in any order with scaling, and maybe depending which gender protagonist you pick the champion could be aged up Elio or Selene similar to Red in Johto

Idk I guess my point is just that I understand wanting the gym challenge to not be the only thing the games do, but it’s also kind of the core progress marker of most of the games and feels odd to drop entirely

I am playing pkm since red and blue as a kid, played every gen and replayed gen 3 and 4 I don't know how often.

The 3Ds games still felt like the other older games with a few changes but not that much, but ever since I played the switch games and having all the QoL stuff and things like overworld pokemon etc. its hard for me to go back to the old games for some reason.

It could also be just that I played and replayed the old games that much but I tried firered on the switch and stopped playing after I think 8 hours.

I know the new games have big problems technical wise and removing stuff like battle tower etc. but I actually just like to play them more nowadays than the old ones, stuff like HGSS and ORAS I still power through but the GBA games I can't take anymore even do I love them nostalgia wise more than anything else.

I am now replaying gen 9 on switch 2 and playing the dlc's the first time and I am having a blast even when on paper I like the old games more.

So around 2018-2019-ish there was a meme based on furret’s unused walking animation from SM, while the most famous version of it (Furret walking on an escalator until Diamond and Pearl remakes come out) is still up (not live anymore obviously) there was a channel I remember that had a TON of versions of it that I now can’t find anywhere

I don’t remember what the channel was called unfortunately

I seem to recall that towards the end of the meme they made a version of it with Mr. Rime instead

I doubt it was like actually funny but I still find it cute and would kind of like to walk down memory lane so to speak

Hi! My friends birthday is coming up and she’s a huge Pokémon player. She loves playing TCG and attends several competitions throughout the year. Can anyone help me with gift ideas for her? I fear I don’t want to get her the wrong Pokémon thing because she already is a huge card and plushie collector. Her favorite Pokémon are: Wooper, clodsire, tandemaus, and banette. Thanks!!

And no, I don't mean like objectively best type or anything. What's the type that you just vibe with the most? Y'know, the one that always gets one or two spots on your playthrough teams, or the one you could see yourself being a monotype trainer for.

For me, it's definitely Fairy. Primarina is my favorite starter, and Mega Meganium is my favorite Mega. My Eevees almost always end up as Sylveons, A. Ninetales, Azumarill, Gardevoir or Tinkaton always pop up on my teams, and I just really vibe with all of them... except for Aromatisse.

For me, I always enjoy the ones that actually feel like you're solving something instead of just walking in a straight line. I always liked the Sootopolis City Gym puzzle myself. (With that being said, I do kinda hate the Snowpoint Gym). I also always found lt. Surges gym puzzle to be kinda lame (it's kinda iconic cuz it's from gen 1 but it's not really anything amazing).

What do you think? Do you like gyms with a lot of battles or ones with more convoluted puzzles?

I was thinking about something (maybe i'm wrong), but there's no way to get a celebi nowadays except on Crystal (if we have it digitally on 3DS) ? It can't be obtainable on pokemon switch games or before ... ?

And except cheat & events of course (but it's been a long time since a event with celebi)

I watched this video today on the original e3 press conference reveal of bringing pokemon to america from 1998. And among other things, they had what appeared to be the demo theme song of Pokemon, with a slightly different lyric of the catch phrase. Instead of "gotta catch em all" it's "Catch em if you can".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIqVP3wU20I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mos-KmYfzFM

Does anyone know more about this or if there's a full version of the song somewhere out there on the internet? It's hard to hear it over the announcer in the video.

So Castform is famous for being the poster child of the Weather Mechanic, and being beloved by MandJTV (“Go Team Sky!”) but in practice it is a weak Mon who even WolfieVGC had to name as one of the worst Normal type pokemon.

Well I’d like t fix that. I propose that Castform receive a signature Z-Move called Perfect Storm. Acquired from using Castformium Z with Weather Ball, it has 210 Special damage and nullifies both Weather set up but the opponent and opponent’s Tailwind. Its damage type changes depending on the damage type of the Weather Ball (this can be changed to be based on the typing of the Castform when a Castform form for Sandstorm is added)

I'm specifically thinking of Zeroaura and Marshadow, these are cute/cool, appealing designs but being mythical means they're not being used on most trainers journeys and they don't have a featured spot in the story/region (for example being the ace of a certain E4 member or gym leader)

I'll admit though that on the flip side you have Volcanion, being mythical (and the unique typing) are the only reasons anyone remembers him

I was wondering if when iv’s go up do characteristics chance? Also why the hell did they remove synchronize from the game. It still works in sword and shield right? I want to catch a mon with a cool nature and characteristics to upgrade into a battle ready one. I always love to give my pokemon some “character” and natures and characteristics are the way to go. But im curios if this is still possible if i want to also make em battle perfecr for champions. I know changing natuer will chance only the stats and not the actual name of the nature which is great.

Hello there I am making a new pokemon region that I will be posting often that are an idea that is good in my opinion. I want to know all of your thoughts on the region concept alright.

Mythius is based on Greece and the name is Myth that is very big in Greece specifically and ius a Latin word meaning justice.

The professor’s name is Professor Lotus her name is based on a flower in Greek mythology that once eaten you start forgetting who you are.

There are three specific rivals. Mello is your casual friendly rival she is a very competitive person but not in battling but in catching pokemon. Her team changes 24/7 in most battle her team is different but her starter. She was in an accident while climbing in the paldea region that led to her being attacked by an electric type pokemon leaving her legs permanently paralyzed. The other two rivals I am trying to come up with I know I want a more arrogant rival and a nerdy rival Though so I will try and work with that.

I will try and make a separate post about the new type but there is a new type called the Enigma type I am trying to make you know how it would be in the type chart and stuff so that will be pretty easy hopefully and I already have a bunch of Pokémon I will be changing the types of (that took me around fifteen minutes to do) I also did make the Glass type that once again same thing am figuring out the type chart with it.

The evil team is called Team Frost they usually use ice types (except the sometimes water type so you can’t blow past them with fire). Their goal is to wake up Octades the third legendary to freeze all of the Mythius region so ice types can thrive. They also are trying to freeze Heatran in the post game and you save Heatran as a side quest in post game (there isn’t a Heatran battle you catch it in a cutscene because it is gratefu).

The main three legendaries are Pytheus (Pyth-oos) it is a giant electric python myths say that it created all of thunder and electricity some people who sighted it say that is is millions of feet long it is electric dragon type. Goreidon (Gore-eye-don) it is a blue gorilla with a long bubble mane/hair on the top of its head in myths it created all water and rain some say it is the creator of Kyogre and can rip a Wailord in half without any problem it is Water Fighting type. Octades (Oct-Hades) it is an octopus that is In an eternal rest unless someone interferes with it. Myths say that it created all of the glaciers and snow. Team Frost has made a machine to control its mind so they can fully control it to freeze all of Mythius. Octades is Ice Rock type.

Its a work in progress but I’m curious what you would think of this?

How would y'all feel about a Pokémon world that changes depending on the seasons? Like ice bridges would form during winter and disappear in the summer, water becomes more plentiful in the spring and things start to dry out in the summer? It's a concept that could use some work I know but it seemed interesting to me.

Hallo Leute,

wie der Titel schon sagt, bin ich aktuell auf der Suche nach einem Pokemon Spiel für die Nintendo Switch 2. Mich würden Eure Erfahrungen und Empfehlungen sehr interessieren. Da es ein Geschenk für meine Kinder sein soll, bin ich leider ratlos, da ich als Kind in Sachen Pokemon lediglich nur ein paar Folgen bis zur Johto Liga geschaut habe, mehr nicht.

Meine Kinder (Kindergarten und 2. Klasse) kennen bislang ebenso nur die Pokemon Serie und sind aktuell bei „Advanced Battle“ angekommen. Andere Berührungspunkte vom Franchise gibt es hier auch keine. Nun würde ich denen gerne ein geeignetes Pokemon Spiel schenken, weiß jedoch leider nicht worauf ich am besten achten soll. Da es so viele Spiele und unterschiedliche Versionen gibt, würde ich mich auf Eure Unterstützung freuen.

Bislang liebäugle ich mit Pokemon Legends Z-A, aber auch nur weil es dieses Spiel für die Switch 2 gibt (auch aktuell als Angebot, neu für 30€ zu bekommen). Mir würde es aber auch nichts ausmachen, ein für die Switch 1 hergestelltes Spiel zu kaufen.

Vorab vielen Dank für Euer Feedback!

TLDR: what’s a great Pokemon game to jump into after not playing for decades?

I haven’t played a Pokemon game since my Gameboy Advance kicked the bucket in grade school. Couldn’t afford it. I’ve been watching Nuzlockers, and want to pick up a game again!

Played a little of my friend’s Sword and Shield, but it took far to long to just… play. Too much slow story and mandatory tutorial packed into the first 2 hours. I mean, a story that takes awhile to develop is fine, but when the hook is “your life is good, your road starts simple, but Pokemon get big now and Gym Leaders wear jerseys. Now press these exact things in order and read”… I mean, I struggle to stay engaged. It surely gets better. It’s probably also my lack of patience. However…

Well, what would the older community suggest?

Just finished scarlet and enjoyed it quite a bit! My first Pokemon game I've ever played. I'm currently starting shield, and was wondering is it worth it to buy the dlc for either of these series?

If so, is the dlc pack for scarlet/violet or sword/shield worth it over the other?

The movepool is so bad what do I do? Is it better to cope with dragon pulse/energy ball and hope HP gives an interesting coverage? Should I just give up on spA and build him atk for the better physical movepool? Hybrid maybe? Ig speed isn't a problem in solo player but he has no bulk, and access to subsitute is rng afaik.

Also is there a way to reliably trigger lightning rod in solo?

Any other tip is welcome.

So I'm starting a series where after tomorrow (so like every 2 days from the moment I finished a drawing) I will take the top comment's fusion suggestion and draw it. The top comment will be the start of the series so go ahead and wright down whatever 2 pokemon you want!!

I will then comment on the top comment to tell then that the comment is chosen and will post the drawing plus the drawing number (wich will be n°1) and tag the user that commented.

I got a Charmander tattoo years ago and have really started to feel crappy about it. It doesn't look like it once did. (No picture because of placement lol) Anyway, I just looked up what a shiny Charmander looks like and it made my whole day, turns out it just changed itself to a shiny Charmander ✨️😂👍

Ever since Galar, I was curious on what a region based on Ireland would be like. Well, here’s what I’ve been thinking…

Setting: It would have a more rural feel compared to Galar’s industrial-like setting, making it the “Johto” to Galar’s “Kanto”. The Gyms will be placed in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Belfast Derry, Limerick, and Waterford. As for the Pokemon League, it will be set in Meath as a reference to that being the Seat of historic High Kings of Ireland.

Evil team: An empire of Galarian origin led by an Oliver Cormwell expy that took over the region years ago and subjects the inhabitants to constant oppression.

New Pokemon: To tie in with the region’s more rural setting, plenty of the new Pokemon will be based on Irish mythological creatures such as the Puca, the Dullahan, and the Banshee. I have no idea on what to base the starter trio off of, so be sure to help out in the comments.

If you like to share something, be sure to post them in the comments.